Overshoe.



PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

E. P. RICKBRT.

-0VERSHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MARAJQO?. Y

Ewm kw/MM EDWARD P. RIOKERT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

OVERSHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed March 4, 1907. Serial No. 360,491.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD P. RICKERT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have linvented certain new and useful Improvements in Overshoes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rubber overshoes, and while certain features thereof are ap licable to rubbers generally, other features t 1ereof are especially applicable for use with rubbers which are to be worn with shoes having high heels known to the trade as French heels and CubanH heels. Still other features of the invention are especially applicable to rubbers of the "storm7 type.

The object of my invention is to provide means for strengthening and reinforcing rubber overshoes and causing the same to cling tightly to the feet of the wearer.

l accomplish these results by the embodiment of my invention disclosed in the drawings, wherein Figure l represents a side elevation of a rubber constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of such rubber, Fig. 3 a sectional detail of the heel portion of a rubber, fitted to a shoe having a heel shorter than the one for which the rubber was designed and Fig. 4 shows same with heel of shoe forced down by the weight of the wearer.

Describing the parts by reference numerals, l denotes the rubber overshoes, the same being shown as adapted for use with shoes having high heels. The overshoe is shown as of the storm type andv has its upper provided with a long flap 2 adapted to extend up and over the instep of the wearer. The edge of the upper is provided with a recess 3 at each side 'of the base of the flap 2, whence said edge extends upwardly and rearwardly to and around the heel, as shown in Fig. l. Around the edge of the flap there is a cord 4, which is embedded between the fabric with which the overshoe is lined and the rubber. This cord, from recesses 3, extends below the edge of the upper, the distance between such edge and thecord gradually increasing from recesses 3 to the rear of the heel, thus providing a iiexible edge portion 5 which projects above the cord and yields to permit the introduction of the heel of the shoe into the overshoe. The two parts of the cord are crossed l at the rear portion of the heel, as at 6, and

the parts of the cord are suitably tied together at their intersection. From their points of intersection, the two arts of the cord diverge downwardly on eac i side of the rear central portion of theheel and toward the outer sides of the heel, as far as the sole 8. At its lower end, each cord section 7 is bent inwardly and then upwardly, forming loops 9 the lower ends of which are molded into the sole of the overshoe. Thence said cord sections e'xtend upwardly on each side of the center of the heel, and the upper ends of such upwardly extending sections l0 are joined in any suitable manner, or the cord may be made continuous or endless and given the necessary shape to permit it to be molded into the overshoe inthe manner shown in the drawings. By this construction, the overshoe is reinforced around the edge of the Hap 2, causing the flap to make close engagement with the instep. At the same time, owing to the projection of the flap 2 above the recess 3, sufficient flexibility is provided between the recesses 3 and the opposite portion 11 of the upper to permit the flap to yield and allow the insertion of the shoe into the overshoe.y The fact that the cord extends around the heel of the overshoe assists in retaining the latter on the shoe, while the location of the same at a suitable distance below the top of the heel provides a flexible extension 5 which will permit the insertion of the heel of the shoe into the heel portion of the overshoe.

In overshoes as ordinarily constructed, when the `heel of the overshoe strikes the ground or pavement in walking, a wrinkle is produced in the heel of the overshoe adjacent to the sole. The general reason for this is because the heel is always worn away more at the back than at the front although the same effect is produced if the heel of the shoe is not as high as the heel for which the overshoe was designed. The production of this wrinkle is a prolific source of the breakage of overshoes at a point immediately above the sole, By providing the heel with the vertically extending reinforcement provided by the cord 7 and 10, this wrinkle is prevented, the fullness which is produced on the impact of the sole of the rubber against the pavement or ground being distributed as a wave throughoutthe height of the heel as far as the point 6.

It frequently happens, owing to the shape placed thereon in walking.

of the heel of the shoe or the snugness of the overshoe that in putting on the overshoe, the heel of the shoe strikes the heel portion of the overshoe a distance above the sole. In such cases the cord in the back of the overshoe by its stiffness prevents the portion of the overshoe from being bent or folded underneath the heel and the heel of the shoe will work down into place. If the heel of the shoe is not as highas the heel for which the overshoe is designed the heel of the shoe will stop short of the sole 8, at a short distance above the latter, as indicated in Fig. 3. With the old style of rubber this results in crimping or bulging the overshoes between the rear end of the heel 12 and the sole 8 when pressure is The overshoe eventually cracks and breaks at this crimped or wrinkled portion, rendering it worthless. Now with my construction by the arrangev ment of the cord in the heel or back portion of the overshoe no such crimping is produced for as explained before the fullness which is produced on the impact of the sole of the rubber against the pavement or ground is distributed as a wave throughout the back portion of the overshoe up to the point 6. Also, owing to the provision of the non-elastic cord around the edge of the upper, there is no working up and down of the heel of the shoe within the overshoe.

' of which, while firmly gripping the heel of the shoe, will permit the same to be inserted into the overshoe without material difficulty 3 and which will protect the heel portion thereof from breakage or injury due to the incidents of use.

It will be observed that the sections 7 and l0 are in the form of inverted Us, the bottoms of which are connected by portions embedded in the sole 8. This forms a particularly cheap, simple and effective means for reinforcing the backs or heels of overshoes in such manner as to avoid the objectionable features incident to those in ordinary use.

What I claim is l. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe havinO' embedded in the rear portion` of the heel tIiereof a loop of nonelastic material, said loop extending into and being embedded in the sole of the heel portion of the overshoeand projecting thence upwardly along the rear portion of the heel of the overshoe and above the sole and on opposite sides of the central portion of said heel, substantially as specified.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe having a high heel, said heel having embedded in the rear face or portion thereof a non-elastic cord, said cord being formed into the shape of two inverted Us, one within the other, and having their lower ends connected, the connecting portions being embedded in the sole of the shoe.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe having the heel or rear portion thereof provided with one or more vertically extending non-elastic cord-sections embedded therein, substantially as specified.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe having a continuous non-elastic reinforcing cord embedded therein, said cord extending around the upper, the cord sections crossing each other at the rear central portion of the heel and extending downwardly on opposite sides of the central portion of the heel as far as and into the sole thereof, thence upwardly within the loop formed by the two downwardly extending sections and having their ends united, substantially as specified.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe, having its heel portion provided with one or more sections or branches o f non-elastic cord extending in a generally vertical direction from the s ole and being embedded in said heel and sole, substantially as specified. l

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio.

EDVARD P. RICKERT.

. I/Vitnesses:

VICTOR C. LYNCH, N. L. MCDONNELL. v 

